Published at 2nd of September 2019 9:55 pm

2014 Epilogue — A Joyous Occasion (1)

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After their return from New Zealand, the film in which Yi Wenze made his directorial debut held a grand premiere in Beijing. Following the ceremony, he and the two stars of the film were invited as special guests into Sina’s chat room. The start time of the interview was ten o’clock at night. When Jia He opened up her computer at home, the premiere gala’s live onsite broadcast had already begun the warm-up preamble.

Ninety-five percent of the comments on the screen were for Yi Wenze. It practically seemed as if all of this had nothing to do with the leading actor and actress…

As soon as the host arrived, she remarked in a voice filled with feeling, “Oh, male god, you are so deadly. Even though you’re already spoken for, the effect that you have is not dampened in the least.”

Soon someone uploaded a photograph taken live from the chat room. Jia He pulled out a steak from the refrigerator and turned on the kitchen hood fan, all the while taking glances at the computer screen, which was in a spot not far away. Yi Wenze was sitting beside the leading actor and actress and smiling at the camera. These two leads of the film were considered new, rising stars of the entertainment circle, both having signature beautiful smiles, but they could not compare to him, an idol who still stood tall and firm in the showbiz industry even after so many years. Modest and unpretentious, approachable and amiable, and, on top of that, Mandarin pronunciation that still was not quite accurate—all of these induced exhilaration in the fans who were inundating the screen with their comments.

As this was the chat room, all dialogue was broadcasted live in the form of text.

Film’s lead actor: Hello, everyone!

Film’s lead actress: Hello, everyone! This is my first time in Sina’s chat room. Thank you, all of you, for waiting for so long.

Yi Wenze: Hello, everyone. I’m very happy to have a discussion over the Internet with all of you.

“Have a discussion”… This word choice… was seriously just too adorable.

Jia He could not resist silently giving a sentence of approval. The steak was tossed onto the heated oil, and sizzling sounds started up.

Even the host was unable to contain herself and immediately latched onto the three words of “have a discussion.”

Host: Director Yi, here it should be called “chatting.” “Discussion”… just sounds too serious. I heard your fiancée is a born-and-bred Beijinger girl. So will you guys normally take some time out to give you some crash lessons in Mandarin?

Yi Wenze: Yes, often.

Host: Does she frequently correct you?

Yi Wenze: I’m a really easygoing person and can accept anyone’s opinions and criticisms. But my “her,” she doesn’t really like to correct me. She’ll think that even when I say something wrong, it’s still good. Overall, when it comes to anything that has to do with me, she has no principles. (smile)

Host: No principles? It seems it is as the rumours say, that she’s your fan?

Yi Wenze: Since her teenage years, I’ve been her one and only idol.

Principles? What were those? Pleased with herself, Jia He cheerfully flipped the steak over with a pair of wooden chopsticks. If there were a male god in your home and he and you were going to be together forever and ever, would you still have principles? Anyone who claimed that they would keep their principles was just being pretentious…

While still keeping an eye on her steak, she read the latest of the textual live broadcast.

Yi Wenze suggested to the host that she should not direct questions only to him and should focus more on the leading actor and actress and this new film. At once, the host corrected her approach and, with earnestness, brought the conversation topic back to the film. However, after some interaction, she could not resist bringing the spotlight onto this new director.

Host: Director Yi, what do you think your strong points are? Or perhaps we could phrase the question as, what was the reason your fiancée initially fell in love with you?

Yi Wenze: Me? I’m a very middle-of-the-road type of person. I don’t have any particular strong points. The reason why she initially fell in love with me? The same as what we were talking about earlier, because I am her idol from her teenage girl days.

Host: You don’t worry that she’s not truly in love? That what she feels for you is just the blind love one has towards one’s idol?

Yi Wenze: No, I don’t really worry. Blind love is actually pretty good. Although I’ve tired of being an idol in the entertainment circle, at home I’m actually very willing to be her idol for an entire lifetime. It has many advantages and absolutely no disadvantages when it comes to a couple’s relationship.

Host: Then…

Yi Wenze: (smile) Don’t keep asking about her. Let’s change the subject.

Host: Sorry, sorry. I forgot. Since the start of your career, you have never liked talking about your personal matters. You’re very conscious about protecting your privacy.

Yi Wenze: It’s not about protecting privacy.

Host: Then it’s about…?

Yi Wenze: I’m a bit superstitious. I believe that happiness is actually held in balance. If you display too much of it or talk too much about it, you will actually get less of it. It’s the “happiness flaunting theory” that netizens always talk about. As for whether my life is blissful or not, it’s enough that just the two of us, she and I, are clear on that.

Host: I never expected that you, someone openly acknowledged by many as a male god, would actually be scared of this sort of theory.

Yi Wenze: (Smile) Yes, I do get scared.

The text of this live interview continued rolling up the computer screen. Jia He wanted to read a bit more, but she heard a peculiar sound coming from the pan. Whipping her head around, she discovered the steak was already a little charred. Her phone also chose this very great time to beep. She picked it up and took a glance. It was a text message from Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu: I was just in Sina’s office for some work stuff and happened to see your man’s live interview. That public flaunting of his love that he did is absolutely at a subtle and sophisticated idol level. Thumbs-up. Like. Also, asking in passing, have you guys registered your marriage yet?

Thinking briefly, Jia He wrote a reply: No. He hasn’t mentioned the matter of registering our marriage.

Xiao Yu: Remarkable. I thought you guys had already done the whole process in New Zealand. You haven’t asked him about it?

Jia He: How can I feel okay asking that?

Xiao Yu: You’re already his fiancée. What’s there to not feel okay about?

Jia He: “Feeling not okay” is just that. I don’t feel okay…

Xiao Yu: ……

Consequently, Jia He began speculating, what were Yi Wenze’s thoughts regarding registering their marriage? By the time Yi Wenze returned in the wee hours of the night from the chat room, washed a few oranges, apples, and carrots, and juiced them all together for her into two glasses, she had finally worked herself up to it. Acting very nonchalant, she asked in an unconcerned tone, “My mom was wondering… when are we going to do our marriage registration? She wants to transfer the ownership of that little apartment of my family’s over to the two of us.” Mom, forgive me for using you as my excuse.

“Why does she want to transfer it to us?” Yi Wenze took a sip. He thought it tasted pretty good.

“My dowry, I presume.”

In all honesty, she was wondering about that as well. Given who Yi Wenze was, why would he care whether his wife brought along a little, fifty-something-square-metre apartment as her dowry? But her mom had insisted, so there was nothing she could do about it. This was just putting icing on the cake, just icing on the cake[1].

“In a few days, probably,” Yi Wenze contemplated. He gave a tender smile. “I just got my single status certificate[2] from the embassy. We’ll go get the procedure done tomorrow.” He paused for moment, then switched to state it in a different way: “We’re going to register our marriage.”

“In Beijng?” She was astonished.

“In Beijing.”

“Won’t it be hard for you to do all the procedures here?”

“It’s not bad. I’ve done everything already.” Yi Wenze added, “If, in the future, we have any sort of marriage-related dispute over assets or property, it will be more advantageous for you this way since Beijing is the location of your registered permanent residence.”

Hearing this, Jia He felt a little conflicted and quietly mumbled, “Will we have disputes? Why would we have disputes?”

“Just in case. I will never let you be at any sort of disadvantage.” He stated this as though it were a matter of course, but had also voluntarily chosen to ignore that he was the other party in this marriage.

Jia He was silent, wanting to express how touched she was, but even after pondering for a long while, she was still unable to put anything to words. Her voice soft, she reminded him, “You’re the groom, not the lawyer acting on behalf of the girl’s side. Be careful that I don’t con you out of all your money…”

[1]錦上添花. This idiom literally translates as “embroidering flowers to brocade.” It means to make something already wonderful even better.

[2]Foreigners who wish to be married in China to a Chinese citizen must first obtain a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage, colloquially referred to as a single status certificate or a certificate of marriageability. Some countries will do this at its embassy or consulate in China.

This story was translated with the express permission of the author for hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com only. All forms of reproduction, redistribution, or re-posting are not authorized. If you are not reading this from hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com, the copy is unauthorized and has been taken without consent of the translator.

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